The 2011 Nissan Leaf is nothing less than miraculous. After decades of waiting fruitlessly for commercialization of various science fiction inventions like the jetpack, the flying car and the robot maid, Nissan has finally delivered a regular, normal everyday car that runs on battery power.

Yes, electric cars have existed almost since Gottlieb Daimler built the first car and there have always been various limited-production, astronomically expensive electric playthings, but the Leaf is the first modern mass-produced fully capable car that eschews internal combustion.

With a $35,430 as-tested price, the Leaf is not inexpensive, but neither is it prohibitively priced, especially with the $7,500 federal tax credit helping whittle a chunk off the bill. Even more attractive is Nissan’s $350 a month lease, which should make the car accessible to many mainstream drivers.

2011 Nissan Leaf SL-E

Base price: $34,540 (including $820 destination)

Price as tested: $35,430

EPA MPG equivalent: 106 city/92 highway

Pros: No gas, eventual wide availability, attractive lease price.

Cons: Limited driving range, frog-eyed styling, recycled interior.

Verdict: A stunning success for tree huggers that could convert regular drivers (when they discover they can use a gas-free car for most of their driving).

Of course limited driving range has been the primary obstacle to widespread electric car adoption and the Leaf lacks the range of gas-powered cars. But for many drivers its range is enough to do most of the jobs cars need to do. Suburban multi-car households can use their second car for family trips, and urban singles might decide to fly or take the train for interstate travel, but for everyday use, the Leaf really is a suitable vehicle.

However, there is some debate on the Leaf’s actual driving range. The EPA says it’s 73 miles, based on its testing regime. My real-world driving stretched that to 80 miles in suburban driving with 55-65 degree temperatures.

It is good to know that the worst-case scenario range is 62 miles because that’s still a reasonable range for most round-trip commutes. The claimed 138 mile range is a bit more dubious, and of course even if it’s true, it’s pretty useless because it would be unusual for anyone to cruise willingly at 38 mph for 138 miles.

The computer in the Leaf I tested projected a range of just 90 miles even when the battery was fully charged, and after 70 miles it told me said I had just ten miles left. The range prediction drops precipitously in the first few miles of driving, but then stabilizes after five or ten miles. (Nissan spokeswoman Jeannine Ginivan said the company is working to fine-tune the software to address this.)

Software glitches aside, the Leaf drives like a regular economy car on the road and offers all the expected amenities, so once the driver has gained confidence that it will not strand him significantly short of the projected battery range, it’s easy to use the car for daily commuting, errands and the endless soccer-mom chauffeuring that consumes so much time (and gas) in the lives of many drivers.

Space for five occupants — compared to the four-seats in the Chevrolet Volt — makes the Leaf a stronger candidate for carpool duty. It’s this suitability for everyday use that makes the Leaf miraculous.

The car’s limited range is manageable because the driver is kept continuously informed of the battery’s state of charge, the predicted remaining driving range and the estimated length of time needed to recharge the battery. This lets drivers calculate whether they can use the car for another trip, say at lunchtime, after an additional few hours of charging at work in the morning, or, more significantly, when the car will be ready to return from a drive at the end of its maximum driving range.

The Leaf’s battery pack is necessarily large, which means that it takes a long time to charge it using a plain old 110-volt wall outlet. Nissan says that it takes 20 hours to fully recharge a totally depleted battery using a 110-volt outlet, although the computer onboard the Leaf I tested showed 22 hours to charge with 15 miles of range remaining.

The 110-volt charger might trickle a few electrons into the battery during the course of the day as an insurance policy while parked at work, but for effective overnight charging the 220-volt outlet is a must.

When the car reaches about 15 miles of range a blue button on the steering wheel reveals a map of nearby charging stations on the standard navigation system.

Unfortunately, there aren’t any quick-charging stations in the Washington, D.C., area where I tested the car. But these stations are common in some of the West Coast cities where Nissan will sell the car initially. In fact, there are more charging stations than gas stations in San Diego and Seattle, according to Nissan.

They offer 440-volt quick charges that can bring the Leaf’s battery to an 80 percent charge in less than half an hour. Yeah, that’s longer than filling a gas tank, but the average Quickie Mart visit is 23 minutes, Nissan says, so a few minutes browsing the nutritious snacks, quality sunglasses and selection of classic rock music on cassette tapes should just about do it.

But will driving an electric car really save you money? The EPA says that the annual electric cost to power the Leaf for 15,000 miles is $561, which is about one-third the annual cost of gassing up the company’s Versa subcompact, which is similar in size.

As for the car itself, the Leaf is an unremarkable economy car. The numb, over-assisted electric power steering contributes to a synthesized, artificial driving experience reminiscent of a driving simulator, and the budget suspension parts and fuel-economy tires leave the handling wanting.

But the ride is excellent for such a small car, which benefits from its “road-hugging weight” courtesy of the internal battery pack. At highway speed the electric motor emits a distant high-pitched whine that drivers of a certain age will clearly recognize as the sound of a phaser set on overload. Thankfully it never blows.

It’s also pleasing to see the Leaf features upholstery made from recycled materials, such as seats made from PVC bottles. What’s less pleasing is the Leaf’s interior, which actually looks like it’s made from recycled materials.

In fact, Nissan was deluged in hate mail after a false Internet rumor said the company was planning to offer leather seats in the Leaf. Apparently, this prospect offended the “Guardians Of All That Is Good,” who threatened dire consequences if recycled bottles were not the sole Leaf seating surface.

For consumers who are on board with the electric drive thing — but who don’t want to turn their car seat over to read what recycling number is stamped on the bottom — Nissan has already said that there will be an Infiniti luxury car that uses the Leaf’s drivetrain in the near future. And I imagine it will have leather seats.

For now, however, my only real disappointment with the Leaf came when I discovered that having an electric car does not mean never driving to a gas station.

The kids are getting Hess Corporation’s annual toy truck for Christmas again this year, and Hess gas stations are the only places to buy them, so I drove Nissan’s electric car to a gas station to get it.

Life with a Leaf

The 2011 Nissan Leaf is the highest-profile battery-powered car ever created. The five-passenger hatchback's main competition is the Chevy Volt, which uses battery power as well as electricity generated by a gasoline engine. Unike the Volt, the Leaf has no tailpipe, because there's no exhaust to be emitted. Click through our slideshow for a virtual walk-around of the Nissan Leaf.
(Jim Seida / msnbc.com)
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Profile of an EV

Alan Boyle, msnbc.com's science editor, drives the Nissan Leaf down the highway toward Snoqualmie Falls, east of Seattle. A hydroelectric dam at Snoqualmie Falls provided some of the electricity used to power the car.
(Jim Seida / msnbc.com)
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Feed me!

With the charging cover open, the Leaf's two charging ports are exposed. The car accepts plugs that can provide AC power at 120 or 240 volts, or DC power at 480 volts. A full charge requires up to 20 hours at 120 volts, but just a half-hour at 480.
(Jim Seida / msnbc.com)
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The place to plug in

The charging port on the right plugs into a standard household 120-volt outlet, or a 240-volt charging station. The port on the left is designed to be plugged into a 480-volt fast-charging station.
(Jim Seida / msnbc.com)
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Under the hood

At first glance, the engine bay of the Nissan Leaf looks very much as if it contains a conventional combustion engine.
(Jim Seida / msnbc.com)
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The engine? Guess again

What at first looks like a valve cover of a conventional internal combustion engine is in fact the 80-kilowatt AC synchronous electric motor that powers the Leaf. Nissan makes a point of noting that the car is powered by a motor, not an engine.
(Jim Seida / msnbc.com)
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Is that the battery?

The Nissan Leaf has a 600-pound lithium-ion battery pack that is placed beneath the feet of the driver and passengers. That's what provides the energy for the electric motor. But there's another battery under the hood: This traditional-looking car battery is used to power accessories such as the radio and the interior lights.
(Jim Seida / msnbc.com)
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Watch the screen

The touchscreen display in the Leaf's center console provides energy information about the car - including, most importantly, how much farther it can be driven before it needs to be charged. When this picture was taken, the remaining estimated range was 58 miles. Nissan says the car can get 100 miles or more on a charge, depending on driving conditions.
(Jim Seida / msnbc.com)
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How am I doing?

The instruments in front of the driver show speed, battery temperature, remaining range and the time estimated for a full battery charge, in addition to a "tree" icon that indicates how eco-friendly your driving habits are.
(Jim Seida / msnbc.com)
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Paradigm shift

The illuminated "palm-shift" knob between the two front seats allows the driver to switch between park, reverse, neutral, drive and eco-mode.
(Jim Seida / msnbc.com)
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My, what big eyes you have

The bulging headlights that protrude from the Leaf's front end split the air so it travels above and below the side view mirrors. This reduces aerodynamic drag and, consequently, wind noise.
(Jim Seida / msnbc.com)
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Think solar

Behind the rear roof-mounted antenna is a small solar panel that provides a trickle charge to the 12-volt lead-acid battery that sits under the hood.
(Jim Seida / msnbc.com)
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Aerodynamics at work

Small bumps and slots in front of the windshield help control airflow over the car for reduced drag and wind noise.
(Jim Seida / msnbc.com)
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Return of the tail fins

Small fins below the Leaf's rear bumper act as a diffuser which speeds the exit of air from beneath the car, reducing its drag and increasing efficiency.
(Jim Seida / msnbc.com)
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Leaf in the forest

The Nissan Leaf makes its way up Interstate 90 into the mountains east of Seattle, cruising past logging trucks and gasoline tanker trucks.
(Jim Seida / msnbc.com)
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Editor's note:
This image contains graphic content that some viewers may find disturbing.